The past month has been very quiet on the interior design work front.
There, I’ve said it.
I’d had a steady trickle of clients coming my way over the past ten months or so, but the past few weeks have been rather silent.
Earlier this week I started to think about this in more detail and came up with some reasons as to why this was the case. Here is what I came up with:
1. I haven’t been trying hard enough with advertising.
2. I’m lazy.
3. I’ve been spending too much time recording and editing podcasts.
4. I’m spreading myself too thinly.
I’ll explain my feelings about each of these thoughts, one reason at a time. Partly because it might be interesting to you, especially if you’re experiencing any similar feelings about your own work, and partly because I need to work through it in order to move forward.
Quite honestly, I could do with earning a little more than I am currently, and so it would be helpful to figure a few more things out.
If you’re able and willing, a subscription really does make a difference, especially in the leaner times. Or you can buy me a virtual coffee if you prefer.
Here goes.
1. I haven’t been trying hard enough with advertising
This is a tough one and something I feel somewhat out of my comfort zone with. I set up a website, I have a reasonably lively Instagram account that includes a website link and I’ve advertised for free on several local Facebook groups.
Interestingly, the most success has come from the local Facebook groups. These were all free ads. I haven’t posted any recently but probably should get back on the case with this as it did yield some good clients.
I explored paying to advertise in some local magazines but haven’t gone ahead with his yet because there is financial outlay required with no guarantee of returns. Though, clearly, I will need to try it at some point to see what it yields.
Paid Facebook and Google ads were something I experimented with several weeks back. Although they significantly increased traffic to my website, they didn’t lead to any client bookings so I’m uncertain as to whether to try this again. It’s possible that I didn’t spend enough money on them and/or that I didn’t set the right parameters or publish good enough images and copy.
Some free(ish) advertising came my way in the form of a local magazine article. I say free(ish) because I had to spend time writing this article in order to get some advertising for myself. So, it cost me my time. As far as I know, I haven’t got any work off the back of this piece, but I did gain experience in writing to a brief set by an editor. And, because she liked what I wrote, I’ve been asked by the editor to pitch again for a later edition. I pitched two ideas, one of which she was very keen on and said she will be in touch with a brief in a few weeks. I will continue with this kind of work because it is honing my writing skills as well as giving me some publicity, which may eventually lead to work.
I’m certainly open to other forms of advertising, so if you have any recommendations, please do leave a comment. I know that you are a knowledgable and talented bunch, so I very much value your input here!
2. I’m lazy
Occasionally, I worry that I’m not putting enough effort into all of this and that might make me a bit lazy. What I find difficult to balance is my need for space and thinking time with the desire to feel like I’m doing all I can to succeed. It’s the eternal challenge, I suppose, and something I wrote about in frank financial detail a few months back. Read it here:
It’s important for me to remember that I left my stressful, head-exploding job because I was feeling burnt out. I’d lost the capacity to do creative things and I constantly felt tired and grumpy. I absolutely do not want to go back to that feeling and so I’m mindful of trying to maintain the equilibrium. Wednesdays are the creative filling to my teaching job sandwich (I teach Monday, Tuesday, Thursday!) and it’s so important to me that, as well as good amount of design work, those days contain some time spent outside, at least 30 minutes of reading and time for writing.
More and more, I’m embracing the attitude to not care what other people think of the way I spend my working week, but occasionally the doubts creep in and I question whether I’m just being lazy.
Last Friday I had the absolute joy of meeting up with
for a drink. Hannah was in London for the weekend and emailed me to see if I wanted to meet up. I was delighted to have this opportunity and we spent a good hour or so chatting about freelance life, Substack, creativity and travel plans. It put a smile on my face for the rest of the weekend. Having space in my day meant I could fit that in, and I’m so glad I could.3. I’ve been spending too much time recording and editing podcasts
After a hiatus, I’ve started recording a new series of podcasts. I don’t get paid for this, but I very much enjoy doing it and that’s what drives me to continue. I adore the connections made with the people I have the privilege of interviewing, but the recording and editing takes time.
I learnt so much during the process of producing my first podcast series Inspiring Creative Career Change and I’m soaking up even more with this new series on multi-hyphenate life. I’m learning about myself, I’m being inspired by others’ journeys, I’m developing technical audio skills I didn’t know I had and I’m becoming more comfortable with speaking and recording my voice. These are all brilliant things, but they’re not currently earning me any cash. This won’t deter me, but I do hope that in time I might be able to find some ways to monetise the podcast a little. I suppose I could seek to find a sponsor myself: a company that aligns with my outlook on life. I’ll add that to the list of things to explore!
Whilst I’m talking about the podcast, I thought I would share this artwork that
created for me. If you don’t know Emily’s work then please do check out her Substack . I’m hoping to interview Emily for the new podcast as she is a brilliant example of a thriving and talented creative multi-hyphenate!I host the podcast here on Substack, and I’ve noticed that the platform is recently starting to push podcasts a little more which seems to be giving it more views. I also publish it in other places, but until I get more downloads, I’m not eligible to add in advertising via these platforms.
As you can probably start to understand, all of this is rather time consuming and can detract from other work, if I’m not careful. It’s all about balance!
4. I’m spreading myself too thinly
This was something Hannah K and I chatted about a lot when we met: how to explore all of our different creative interests while still ensuring the focus is in the right place for our business endeavours. We agreed that some projects are best left as hobbies.
That’s not to say that it wouldn’t be possible to monetise them, but there’s a danger that as soon as you go down that route, you risk losing the drive and sense of fun that was attractive in the first place.
I feel a little like that with my earring making adventure. I do have an Etsy shop and I have sold a few pairs, but figuring out how to price, package and post effectively so that I don’t lose money is trickier than it initially seemed.
Right now, I plan to leave the remaining pieces up for sale on Etsy and next time make a new batch of earrings just for me/gifts for family and friends. I don’t want to worry about what I think will sell, but instead create jewellery that I love. I get such a buzz from the process of moulding and shaping the clay and creating interesting colour combinations. I don’t get a buzz from hours spent trying to photograph and film them in the ‘perfect’ light or from arguing with the lady in the Post Office that this package really is a large letter! It’s a sign. Right now I want to do it for enjoyment only.
Manifestation or Coincidence?
Writing all of this has been helpful. As always, getting thoughts and frustrations down on the page starts to make sense of things.
I started to write this piece on Monday morning when I was feeling a little down about the lack of interior design work coming my way. I scribbled down some thoughts on it in my notebook.
Then, at around 4:30pm that same day, I received an email enquiry from a potential client. The first in four or five weeks. A coincidence, but there’s a tiny part of me that thinks I somehow manifested something.
I’m waiting to hear back from this potential client, and it may not materialise into paid work, but it’s certainly a step in the right direction.
Either way, I feel galvanised with some thoughts and ideas on attempting to move forward.
Interestingly, I think she found me via one of those free Facebook group posts I mentioned earlier. So, despite not posting any adverts for a while, it seems there are people out there who search back through the posts to find what they are looking for.
Huzzah.
I’m here for the long game and know it’s not always easy, but I will lean into these challenges and try to learn something from each one.
If you enjoyed reading this post, you might also enjoy this piece from last month:
Love this post Hannah and also really loved our meet up and chats! So much to talk about! I don’t think it sounds like youve been lazy, it seems like you’ve been busy! And making sure you have headspace is so important for creativity! I try to think of it that way and find it helps. 😊❤️
Really interesting read Hannah. ‘I’m lazy’ is the strongest of my inner voices, particularly difficult when you look around and think everyone is way more active than you! I would think sticking to Facebook groups is a winner, as it’s already working. If you want to add another element you could consider traditional email marketing. You may already offer this but one hour/90 minute consultations are good for people who don’t have much cash but need help on a certain thing/room. Something like - getting the lighting right in a room, or how to create a beautiful gallery wall.